Sunday, January 4, 2009

Vote or Die! Mwaa-ha-ha-ha!

I've rejected "Slush Puppies" as just too cute. I have similar, but less strong, feelings about "Anonymice"; also my readers don't seem terribly mouse-like to me. Still, there's a proud tradition of mice in children's lit. Do you see a mouse?

"Slushies" reminds me for some reason of Thugees, that evil cult in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. I disliked the movie, but I like the evil cult thing.

"Anonymati" does seem like a secret society, which has debatable application here. Unless it's an evil secret society? At the same time, I like "Anonymati" (as well as "Slushies" and "Peons") for clarity: a brand-new reader will have at least a fighting chance of figuring out that I'm addressing my readers when I use it. Not so much with "Mice", "Ablatives", "Queries", or "Snarfles".

But maybe we don't care. It could be like hazing, which is at least a little bit evil, right? Ugh, who can think with this evil cold? You guys decide. I'm going to go have an evil nap.

As an author, it is my certainty that slush puppies was in fact the best possible choice. Nothing else captures so precisely how your slobbering readership leap up at you, tails wagging as they beg for attention and affirmation.

EA- I have a special set of low-maintenance zombies just for first time minion users like yourself. They are strict herbivores, who prefer wilted vegetables that have sat to long at the back of the fridge, they are well-trained, and not likely to attack guests.

I offer a full refund if they eat a family member or pet :0)

P.S. For a modest fee I can upgrade you to the Zombie Attack package. The ZA's are trained to hunt down truly awful query letters in the slush pile, track down the authors, and pin them to their desks until they learn to spell.

The problem with most of your choices is that they are pretty difficult to spell. Although, if you keep a key on your computer set to throw that word in whenever you needed it, that might help you. Wouldn't help us, tho.

I like Anonymati. The whole secret society thing appeals to me and has definite evil possibilities. Is "anonymatus" the singular form?

Slushies is cute, but doesn't seem particularly evil to me. Although there is something evil about coming across as not so evil, but really being pretty evil (like your lovely slush monster). And I've always liked the idea of an evil overlord referring to his/her followers as pets or poppets or something like that.

Ablative somehow reminds me of the word abattoir, which is more disgusting than evil.

I'm torn between Anonymati and Slushies. I may even lose sleep over it. So, now you're torturing your loyal readers. That IS evil.